Al-Qaeda claim puts focus on Yemen

A regional wing of al-Qaeda in Yemen has said it WAS behind the failed Christmas bombing attempt, on the American airliner, to avenge US attacks on the group in the country.

US intelligence agencies, says Yemen has become a growing base for Al-Qaeda.

According to reports from CNN, the government of Yeman has had difficulty in controlling the security of the country, due to rising tribal conflicts.

Al-Qaeda militants who escaped from the border regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan have made Yemen a new base of operation.

Men claiming to be Al-Qaeda members are seen addressing a crowd in Yemen's southern province of Abyan, on December 22. (AFP/File)

Islamic fundamentalism is also on the rise in Yemen, with nearly half of its followers being under the age of 24.

US military experts believe the failed attack on the American airliner was a chilling reminder of the potential danger of al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen.

Officials warned of a potential disaster due to Yemen's strategic location. They say if Al-Qaeda gains a foothold in Yemen, neighboring Saudi Arabia, the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean will all be within striking distance.

Some US intelligence experts have even said if Iraq is the war of the past, and if the Afghanistan war of the present, then Yemen might be the war of tomorrow.